heap
Americannoun
-
a group of things placed, thrown, or lying one on another; pile.
a heap of stones.
- Synonyms:
- collection, accumulation, stack, mass
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Informal. a great quantity or number; multitude.
a heap of people.
-
Slang. an automobile, especially a dilapidated one.
verb (used with object)
-
to gather, put, or cast in a heap; pile (often followed by up, on, together, etc.).
-
to accumulate or amass (often followed by up ortogether ).
to heap up riches.
-
to give, assign, or bestow in great quantity; load (often followed by on orupon ).
to heap blessings upon someone; to heap someone with work.
-
to load, supply, or fill abundantly.
to heap a plate with food.
verb (used without object)
idioms
noun
-
a collection of articles or mass of material gathered together in one place
-
informal a large number or quantity
-
slang to contend strenuously with an opposing sporting team
-
slang to try very hard
-
informal a place or thing that is very old, untidy, unreliable, etc
the car was a heap
adverb
verb
-
to collect or be collected into or as if into a heap or pile
to heap up wealth
-
(tr; often foll by with, on, or upon) to load or supply (with) abundantly
to heap with riches
Other Word Forms
- heaper noun
- heapy adjective
- overheap verb (used with object)
- unheaped adjective
Etymology
Origin of heap
First recorded before 900; 1925–30 heap for def. 3; Middle English heep, Old English hēap; cognate with Dutch hoop, Old High German houf; akin to German Haufe
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nearly three months on, the building still carries the attack in its bones: insurers picking through debris, piles of glass heaped by the entrance, the auditorium a burnt-out shell.
From BBC
“Not before you cause a heap of trouble, though. And you have to find your destiny first.”
From Literature
Google’s Gemini 3 large language model, released in mid-November, vaulted the company to the top of the AI heap due to its strong performance on AI benchmarks.
That puts pressure on Nvidia to again post market-busting earnings—and heaps expectation on pretty much every other major player in the AI ecosystem.
From Barron's
The crisis has heaped more pressure on the state-chartered Fair Plan, an insurer of last resort for desperate homeowners.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
